Fall 2000: Empire
Thursdays, 7-8:30, Prism Commons
Where did imperialism come from? What is "discursivity," "hegemony," "postcoloniality," "subalternity," "the world-system," and why do they sound so scary? Is the discourse of globalization totalizing? Equalizing? Is anything external to capital anymore? This course will serve as a reading and discussion group for some of the major texts framing contemporary debates about globalization. We'll start with a six-week consideration of some fundamental works on capitalism, discursivity, ideology, imperialism, and liberation, moving eventually to consider postcolonialism-with special emphasis on its favorite child "subaltern studies"-as a critique of the double-hegemony of colonialism and nationalism. We'll end by thinking ourselves about globalization, postmodernity, and capitalism, looking to a goofy museum in Raleigh and three Duke professors for guidance.